- Held considering that 1982, the yearly Wörthersee GTI Treffen saw crowds as massive as 200,000 at its peak.
- The nearby Wörth municipality in Austria, in which the event had been held, introduced the lasting end of the accumulating before this year.
- VW has formally sponsored the Treffen considering the fact that 2000 and has now promised to continue the tradition at its headquarters in Wolfsburg.
If you are a lover of the Volkswagen GTI in any of its generations, then heaven is a place in Germany. Exclusively, the bucket-list vacation of any VW sizzling hatch aficionado is a check out to the close to-legendary GTI Treffen, held on the shores of Lake Wörth considering that 1982. At its peak, hundreds of thousands of GTI and Golfing R admirers thronged below, snapping images of wildly custom-made Golfs and taking in significantly far too significantly Volkswagen currywurst (VW component amount 199398500A). Even so, as could possibly be envisioned, the locals have grown rather weary of the spectacle.
In a assertion that nodded to the financial prosperity introduced to the region by previous Treffens, the neighborhood governing administration however firmly yanked the plug wires on the world’s largest GTI competition. Citing the outcomes of climate modify and a have to have to take into account sustainability, an official statement concluded, “The municipality of Maria Wörth will no more time host any conventional major automotive events in the following several years.”
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Definitely, this was a blow for several a VeeDub enthusiast, and for Volkswagen itself. The Treffen begun as a grassroots competition, but VW had lengthy supported its fans. It debuted
Wörthersee-specific idea vehicles like the GTI Roadster Vision Gran Turismo, a modern roofless two-seater developed to rejoice 15 yrs of the Gran Turismo racing game titles. And who could forget the madness of the GTI W12-650, with its 12-cylinder motor mounted amidships, and a top speed of 201 mph?
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But no additional. Wörthersee will return to its previous attraction as a picturesque vacation resort in Bavaria’s lake district.
Happily, Volkswagen pretty much promptly introduced that the Treffen would nonetheless be held, just relocated to Wolfsburg. The event will be held up coming calendar year, and VW programs to simply call the concept “Coming Property.” There will be unique highlights, and Volkswagen has promised a several surprises for faithful GTI followers.
Seriously, it’s the best achievable outcome for the Treffen. With such large crowds, it had efficiently outgrown its previous site. Bringing the pageant specifically to Wolfsburg feels extra fitting, and the year’s crack permits Volkswagen additional time to strategy.
The Golfing R and GTI nonetheless both of those garner around-best scores for their mix of practicality and general performance, and their fan foundation stays massive. If you have been placing off your very own trek to the Treffen, 2024’s the year.
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Contributing Editor
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer dependent in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, arrived of age in the golden era of Japanese activity-compact efficiency, and started producing about cars and trucks and men and women in 2008. His unique interest is the intersection amongst humanity and machinery, regardless of whether it is the racing job of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s 50 %-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught equally of his younger daughters how to shift a guide transmission and is grateful for the justification they offer to be perpetually shopping for Sizzling Wheels.